4 Self Care Tips for Uni | Zafira
Hey!
It's September and you know what that means, back to school season (ew). It's a sad season for most of us except from those of you who weirdly enjoy going back to school, college or uni. I start my very first year of uni soon and I'm absolutely not prepared for it whatsoever.
I thought the best place to start with all this uni prep stuff is to make a guide focusing on self care. I desperately need it and I'm guessing you will too since it's definitely one of those things we always forget. Self care plus the stress and chaos of school life can be quite tricky and sometimes it's pretty hard to remember to care of yourself when you're drowning in books and work but with these few tips I'm hoping to make the whole process a lot easier.
No.1: Make a Schedule & Make Sometime for Yourself
When you hear the word 'schedule' it doesn't sound relaxing at all but it's one of the key things you need in place to make sure you have time for yourself throughout the week. On a certain day throughout the week such as a Sunday, section off a couple of hours to do something you really enjoy or something calming. This could range from taking a bath and having a few hours to pamper yourself or letting yourself divulge into your fave show on Netflix. Whatever you like. This time is for you and what you like.
No.2: Take Care of your Health
I don't want to be a cliche and tell you to sign up for some lame gym membership to get your self into better shape and and only eat fruit and veg for the rest of your entire life because let's be real who wants to do that? The only things I can really make myself do is drinking enough water and just walking wherever and whenever is possible. I'm a pretty lazy person but even doing that is better than doing nothing at all. Try to take a water bottle (not plastic pls the turtles are dying) with you in your bag and drink it whenever you're feeling thirsty opposed to a sugary drink. It'll make such a difference with your skin and health.
I know we're talking about physical health here but mental health is also extremely important especially to those of you who are moving away for uni. It may seem a bit lonely and you may feel as if there's no one there for you talk to but your school/college/uni will offer a range of resources to help you if you need it.
This is also pretty useful to read.
No.3: Make Some Pals & Socialise
This is probably the part I'm dreading the most because I'm kind of shy when you first meet me and the whole introduction part of making new friends is always so so so scary. However, I'm trying to overlook that this year and at least attempt to try and say hello and hi to a few people to make some pals that will hopefully last a lifetime. If you're starting uni, they have so many different clubs and societies for you to join so it makes the process a little less difficult. I think it will be so cool to find friends with a lot of similar interests to me.
No.4: Sleep & Re-Fueling
I am the worst when it comes to sleeping during academic periods. I don't know whether it's just stress or what but my sleeping schedule goes flying out of the window. I think this is probably one thing I'm going to really try and get into order this year because lack of sleep has the biggest effect on everything. It effects your work, your health, your skin and so much more. Something really interesting to try would be a sleep tracker of some sort to figure out how much sleep you're getting every day and go from there. In tip no.1 I was saying to make time for yourself and this massively includes re-fueling and just getting enough rest.
I hope your academic year is amazing!
Lots of love,
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A Long Hiatus, Summer, Prepping for Uni & an Update | Zafira
Hi guys!
It's been quite a while since I've posted anything here simply due to this summer being the busiest one I've had yet. We have 1 day left of August and I cannot believe how fast this summer has flown by but I have loved every minute of it. I took a bit of a break over on my Instagram too which is very much needed but I'll explain more about that later on throughout this post.
This summer began in the most exciting and breathtaking manner as me and family headed down to North Wales for a little holiday at the end of June and I have quite a few posts about that on here. You can check them out by clicking on the following links:
https://www.zaf-ira.co.uk/zafira-1/2018/06/staycation-lookbook-zafira-edit.html
https://www.zaf-ira.co.uk/zafira-1/2018/07/wales-on-film-zafira-edit.html
https://www.zaf-ira.co.uk/zafira-1/2018/07/wales-video-faq-zafira-edit.html
I loved our holiday and it was needed desperately since me and family had a wild, chaotic but amazing summer ahead of us.
July and August were mainly spent on preparing for my cousin's wedding which took up the majority of summer. It my eldest cousin's wedding so it was the first out of the kid's generation which is just so so so weird. I still think my cousin is about 15 and I'm 8 years old dying to borrow her Jacqueline Wilson books. Her wedding was beautiful, it was insanely busy but I loved it. I'm posting a little collage of photographs I took the wedding period over on my Instagram.
And then in the midst of that I've been doing all the boring University stuff like finances and bank accounts. All the stuff that adults usually do but since I'm now legally an adult it's my turn to take over which is very very sad. I start uni in about 3 weeks and I'm so excited but also 100% ready to poop my pants. I'm going to start doing a lot of student based posts very soon so make sure you stay tuned for that!
Lastly, for the past two weeks or so me, my mum and brother decided to take a break over in London after the wedding to just relax, explore and see some family. It was the perfect way to end my summer. However, my phone unexpectedly died the moment I got of the train and set my foot on overly polluted and busy grounds of London. It was quite the tragedy and I then found myself phone-less and disconnected from the online world for nearly 2 weeks. My phone was on it's last legs but it's been that way for a good year and it could have not picked a worse time to die. It's so weird being in one of busiest and liveliest cities without a phone. Anyway, this meant I couldn't really update on Instagram so I took this situation and turned it into a good thing. I think sometimes social media can all get a bit too much so having this break really helped me figure out where I'm going with all this stuff and figure out a path.
I think that's a good summary of everything I wanted to update you all on. I'm sorry I've been a bit M.I.A this summer but I'll be back to normal from this post onward.
Lots of love,
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Back to School/College Outfit Ideas | Zafira
Hello!
Welcome to or welcome back to my blog! It's unfortunately September and me and other students are finding ourselves back in a familiar ditch in the ground called school, college or maybe even university. It's honestly a very sad time of year for me anyway. I remember that this time last year I was starting my first year at college which is crazy since this is my last year and this time next year, I'll be at Uni trying to find my way in life (hopefully). One thing I struggled with a lot with starting college was what to wear. In the UK, most schools have uniform so I never really had the chance to explore my own style or even get to wear my own clothes as often as I wanted. But then college started and I found myself struggling for what to wear. I didn't know whether my outfit choices were too extravagant or too lazy for college but a few months in, I finally found my own style and found some college appropriate outfits that I was comfortable.
This blog post is for those of you who are stuck in a bit of rut and aren't really sure what to wear. I hope it helps!
It's hard to find a place to start in your college wardrobe but the best place to start was with plain/printed t shirts and polo necks. These polo necks have been a life saver especially as this September, it's definitely a lot chillier here in the UK. They're a really easy outfit choice as all you would need to do is throw them on with a pair of jeans and you're good to go. These two polo necks are from Pop Boutique.
These particular two aren't available at the minute but there is one available in black and green:
https://www.pop-boutique.com/jersey-polo-neck-black-and-green.html
Shirts like this are also a good way to go as they help make you look put together if you aren't which is why I love them. You look a bit more sophisticated and ready to work and this floral printed one from Zara is so comfy and is super pretty. I would usually wear this with some high waisted jeans and a nice thick belt.
This also is not available in store but here are some that are very similar:
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/tops/blouses/printed-pyjama-blouse-c763513p5087041.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/tops/blouses/floral-print-blouse-c763513p4853137.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/tops/blouses/floral-print-blouse-c763513p4850035.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trending-now/floral-print-crepe-blouse-c773004p5076564.html
Shirt dresses like this are a life saver. They're so effortless and look really good all year round. I got this one form Zara in a size bigger than usual so it was a bit more slouchy. I love this since it has pockets too and honestly feels like I'm in the most comfortable cute looking potato sack. I'd usually pair this with a pair of leggings.
This is only available in red at the minute:
As it gets a bit chillier, I like to start incorporating a couple of knitted or thicker pieces into my college wardrobe. This plain black knit dress from Zara is like wearing a blanket. It's one of my most favourite pieces in my wardrobe at the minute.
Seems like everything on here isn't available lol but here's some pretty similar dupes:
http://www.asos.com/warehouse/warehouse-knitted-t-shirt-dress
If you like dressing up which I do like to do occasionally, then dresses (this is actually a playsuit but is pretty much like a dress) are such an amazing investment. It helps you feel a lot more free and comfy throughout the long college days.
Similar stuff to this:
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/dresses/view-all/embroidered-dress-c733885p4891004.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/trf/dresses/mini/embroidered-dotted-mesh-dress-c965504p5083529.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trending-now/embroidered-dotted-mesh-dress-c773004p4807524.html
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trending-now/embroidered-dotted-mesh-dress-c773004p4838046.html
Culottes are really in right now and so much more comfy than wearing jeans. I find them a lot more loose fitting and breathable in a way. You can find them in a variation of designs and styles it's basically endless. I love wearing culottes so much. They're also really easy to wear, I usually wear mine with plain white t shirts most of the time. This striped pair are from Zara much like 99% of my wardrobe.
These are available! :
https://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/trousers/view-all/trousers-with-belt-c733898p4908569.html
A jacket is a necessity, even though it's not freezing right now, it's definitely a lot colder and especially at college you'll find yourself moving between buildings for different lessons. This is my much loved pink jacket that I'm wearing 24/7. I've had it for almost a year now and I bought it from Miss Selfridge and it's the best purchase I've ever made. It's perfect for this transition time of year where it's still a bit warm but also can get a bit chilly.
I bought this too long ago for it to be still available but some similar ones are available:
https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/en-gb/shop/bdg-pink-oversized-denim-jacket
When I started college, I had no idea that I would be walking so much on a day to day basis. You want a pair of shoes or boots that are sturdy and comfortable and also really cute. These are my Dr Marten Flora boots which are basically like Chelsea boots but a bit more chunkier. I love them. I wear them all the time and are the best investment I've ever made. I bought these almost a year ago and I can definitely see myself wearing these for at least a couple more years.
You can buy these here:
I also really like my Vans. Not to sound like a complete cliché but I actually bought these before the entire college started wearing them and I love them. They feel so so so good on my feet and match all my outfits which is always something I'm looking out for when I'm buying any footwear.
You can buy these babies here:
https://www.vans.co.uk/shop/en-gb/vans-gb/old-skool-shoes-d3hy28#
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